The owner of VistaJet, one of the world’s biggest private jet firms, has alleged in legal filings that a smaller rival and a prominent British financier launched a smear campaign against him.

In a London High Court battle that involves allegations of covert codes, secret WhatsApp groups and a fake email address, Swiss entrepreneur Thomas Flohr claims that the AirX founder John Matthews and financier Timothy Horlick arranged to release confidential information about him with the intention of ruining his reputation and damaging his company, according to legal filings.